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Just how commited do you have to be?

Hello everyone.

I've been producing for about 18 months now (only dabbled with it before that) Lately I've been spending more and more time producing especially since gettin a virus ti which has given me good incentive to keep at it.

Problem is, I don't want to become a music geek who spends all his time at the computer. I still want to go the gym a few times a week, I still wanna do things with my girlfriend, I still wanna go out with my mates over the weekend (which results in no producing fri/sat/sun) and then have those days where i get back from work and just wanna veg out in front of the TV.

Ultimately I still wanna have a life. I produce music cause i enjoy it (though sometimes it just pisses me off) and my ultimate aim is to produce tracks that are of a releaseable standard.

My question is - Can I become a good producer and still have a life which means that i can only give say 5-6 hours a week to producing or to be good, must I sacrifice other things and put all my focus on producing?

you have to find a balance...you'll probably find out, you might need to sacrifice a few things...but! I don't think anyone who makes music is a geek who spends all his time at his computer...and wank off to internet porn lol

Actually having less time for producing can make only your developing process as an artist a bit longer...if you have what it takes to make good tracks you'll be once able to produce them � take it easy, go out with friends, have fun with your girlfriend...you'll see that being all time in front of your computer isn't needed at all.

Re: Just how commited do you have to be?

quote:

Originally posted by G-Con My question is - Can I become a good producer and still have a life which means that i can only give say 5-6 hours a week to producing or to be good, must I sacrifice other things and put all my focus on producing?

Of course you can. I rarely produce anything these days, maybe once a month if that but when I do I usually end up doing much more than when I used to produce daily. It helps me to keep the focus on the big picture instead of getting hung up on production techniques and useless details.

Yea, once you get good enough it won't take long to knock all your ideas together. Then the majority of the time will be spent refining the track which is infinitely easier than actually doing the arrangement.

Sitting there and forcing yourself to produce will just make it worse. Produce when you feel like it and don't when you don't want to

It all depends on your choice...I have sacrificed many things but then realized later on that its not worth it. Then I stopped thinking that I was gonna be this great producer and just do it now because I enjoy it.

quote:

Originally posted by Limit It all depends on your choice...I have sacrificed many things but then realized later on that its not worth it. Then I stopped thinking that I was gonna be this great producer and just do it now because I enjoy it.

Same here.. I enjoy life, work, have a family, other hobbies and enjoy doing other things. I spend few hours a week in the studio and have my fun, but it's not like I am gonna devote all my time to it. I don't even wanna be some famous producer. I don't care about that at all. Some people do it for fun and the love of music, others for money, others for fame. I do It for fun... and I am gonna keep it that way..

it's all about the ballance kimosabe

I consider myself lucky if I can manage 5 or 6 hours per month these days.

I've found if you sacrifice the time you spend on the forums for producing that you end up with alot more time to produce. :P

quote:

Originally posted by Airyck Sterrett I've found if you sacrifice the time you spend on the forums for producing that you end up with alot more time to produce. :P

I never regret time spent even chatting about dumb shit with creative minds....

can't say I have too much time on my hands either...but still...

I know for a fact i spend far too much time producing/learning to produce, but i like it and still find time for other things and i work full time(not in music), if your happy doing it i dont see a problem, plus if you start doing well and making money frm it then thats an added bonus innit

All I can say is I have spent a lot of nights where I would only get like 3 hours sleep because I thought I had the next big thing going on...but then when its done I realized it wasn't that prolific at all...so I feel like all those nights were a waste of time. SO like many others have said, balance it out.

Yes I have spent a lot of money on gear and stuff but hey I like synths and they make me happy...so hey shouldn't I enjoy life and do what make me happy...hell yes!!. I sacrificed buying a car to buy my studio and you know what...I would do it all over again in a heart beat.

quote:

Originally posted by Limit All I can say is I have spent a lot of nights where I would only get like 3 hours sleep because I thought I had the next big thing going on...but then when its done I realized it wasn't that prolific at all...so I feel like all those nights were a waste of time.

LOL how is that a waste of time? you only get better from practicing and learning from your mistakes, what you describe is all part of the learning process...

So true, so true

one of my friends went from being just a local prog DJ to being just a local prog DJ with a track on beatport by pushing himself to produce. i remember as he was making the track he said that producing wasn't very fun for him, but now he's now releasing more and more tracks...

http://www.djharsh.com/1.html

i think pushing yourself to get on your PC/in your studio even when you don't feel like it is important in the first few years of serious effort...a little effort in the beginning can have big dividends later on.

am i wrong?

I don't know, really - on one hand it would help you improve your skills quicker but on the other hand I think it'd stop being fun pretty quickly. And whenever I force myself to do something it just ends up being crap.

i think if you force yourself a little bit, and then actually end up with a good idea.. it will be worth it.

Cause producing is always fun with a good idea.

yes lucaass, you do need to push yourself.

Watching TV is a big nono when you come back from work if you want to get anywhere, esp if you dont have time during weekends G-con.

Then again I'm lookin at getting quality releases and someday recognised on a global scale, nothings impossible if you put the time in.

You've got to have passion in the music.

I can find it can take me an hour to get in to a mixing session after work sometimes but once im hooked ill do it until i go to bed, 6-12 and try and grab some dinner.

I find weekdays after work are the times i get most things done and the odd sunday if im not hungover lol.

I used to be a big pc gamer but got bored of never having anything to show for it..wasting time.. and I loved trance and wanted to give something back.

quote:

Originally posted by dj_palm me too have the same problem. i wanna chill sometimes doing nothing, but i also wanna make music, i wanna studdy, i wanna have a fulltime work (as I do) using my degree, i wanna party, wanna travel. no time. i end up only surfing internett and paying bills. but this has to change soon.

same here.. internett is an evil thing that always needs attention.. you could atleast check ur PMs though

quote:

Originally posted by daeus yes lucaass, you do need to push yourself. Watching TV is a big nono when you come back from work if you want to get anywhere, esp if you dont have time during weekends G-con. Then again I'm lookin at getting quality releases and someday recognised on a global scale, nothings impossible if you put the time in. You've got to have passion in the music. I can find it can take me an hour to get in to a mixing session after work sometimes but once im hooked ill do it until i go to bed, 6-12 and try and grab some dinner. I find weekdays after work are the times i get most things done and the odd sunday if im not hungover lol. I used to be a big pc gamer but got bored of never having anything to show for it..wasting time.. and I loved trance and wanted to give something back.

+1...i agree 100% and i can relate to all that as well.

At first you probably need to push yourself a bit more, because you have to familiarize yourself with all the technical aspects of it. Once you're comfortable with it, it's probably better to not spend so much time on it. Going out, having fun and having a life will make your productions more creative, wheras sheltering yourself in some dark room in front of a computer monitor for hours on end will make you depressed, and you'll never come up with anything new.

quote:

Originally posted by Fledz Yea, once you get good enough it won't take long to knock all your ideas together. Then the majority of the time will be spent refining the track which is infinitely easier than actually doing the arrangement. Sitting there and forcing yourself to produce will just make it worse. Produce when you feel like it and don't when you don't want to

Good point but I always find refining more difficult than the original arrangement because the more you listen to the track you loose enthusiasm.

But you can take time away and come back when you forget the track. When you're refining a track, you can work on a few things and then continue with it some other time.

Often with arrangement though, if you leave the computer for even an hour you can lose a great idea and then the track is stuffed.

quote:

Originally posted by Fledz But you can take time away and come back when you forget the track. When you're refining a track, you can work on a few things and then continue with it some other time. Often with arrangement though, if you leave the computer for even an hour you can lose a great idea and then the track is stuffed.

true

quote:

Originally posted by daeus yes lucaass, you do need to push yourself. Watching TV is a big nono when you come back from work if you want to get anywhere, esp if you dont have time during weekends G-con. Then again I'm lookin at getting quality releases and someday recognised on a global scale, nothings impossible if you put the time in. You've got to have passion in the music. I can find it can take me an hour to get in to a mixing session after work sometimes but once im hooked ill do it until i go to bed, 6-12 and try and grab some dinner. I find weekdays after work are the times i get most things done and the odd sunday if im not hungover lol. I used to be a big pc gamer but got bored of never having anything to show for it..wasting time.. and I loved trance and wanted to give something back.

I havent watched TV or played games for four years now, that was when I started to get into music.

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